Once Upon a Daydream
by DreamsAreForbidden
Summary: Shikamaru and Ino are secretly in love, but, like any other human beings, feel the need to hide it. Will they ever let their true feelings break out of their shell? ShikaxIno; COMPLETE!
1. Thoughts and Dreams

**Hi, I'm the narrator! This fanfiction is about the famous pair, ShikaIno. This is my first fanfiction, so it might not be so good and stuff. Hope you like it!**

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**Once Upon a Daydream**

**Chapter 1: Thoughts and Dreams**

**Somewhere**

Ino was sitting alone under a tree on top of a hill. The gentle breeze ruffled her hair. She was looking at the view below and daydreaming at the same time. She saw her house, her best friend Sakura's house, Konoha Highschool, and rows of other houses and buildings. Yes, it was all very beautiful.

_I wonder what it's like to have a boyfriend, _she thought out of nowhere. Then Ino saw a lone daisy in the patch of grass she was sitting on. She picked it up. _I will have a boyfriend, I won't have a boyfriend,_ she thought as she tore off the petals gently and let them float in the breeze. _I will have a boyfriend_, she thought as she tore off the last petal. It was sunset now, and Ino watched it with a look of satisfaction. As if in response to the boyfriend thing, the leaves began to rattle and fall down to Earth. One leaf landed in Ino's lap. It was small and green. She decided to keep it as her good luck charm because she thought it was a sign said she would have a boyfriend. It wasn't long before she dozed off to a nice long, sleep…

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**Ino's House**

"Ino Yamanaka! Where have you been?!" shouted Ino's mother angrily at 9 P.M. Ino had fallen asleep for too long, and she was supposed to be back by 7.

"Oh, uh…" Ino's eyes fell on a picture of her and Sakura. "I was at Sakura's house."

"Oh really? Because when I called Mrs. Haruno, she said you weren't there!" replied her mother.

"Oh… did I just say Sakura's house? I meant I was at…Tenten's house…for a project we're doing together!" said Ino.

Mrs. Yamanaka glared at Ino for a moment, and then said, "Next time, tell me where you're going." With that, she walked away.

Ino wiped sweat off her forehead. _Phew! That was too close!_

She walked to her room, changed, and went to sleep.

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**Ino's Dream (or is it a vision? Nobody knows...)**

Sakura: Hey Ino! I can't wait for your party! It's gonna be the biggest event of the year! Oh yeah, and Sasuke-kun asked me to it!

Ino (thinking): Aw man…everybody has a date to my party! I can't be at my own party without a date!

(Shikamaru comes along)

Shikamaru: Hey Ino, do you want to be my date for your party?

Ino (thinking): Shika-kun? Now this is one weird dream. Why would Shikamaru ask me to the party?

Ino: Uhh…sure Shika! I gotta run!

**End Dream**

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**Ino's Room**

_Whoa! That was a weird dream! I had this party and Shikamaru asked me to it, _thought Ino as she got up. She changed into a green T-shirt and jeans and tied up her long blonde hair in a ponytail. She looked around and found it. It was her lucky leaf. It was still smooth and green. She tucked it in her pocket. Ino ran downstairs, grabbed a bagel and her bag, and said, "See ya, Mom! I'm meeting a couple of friends before school and I'm already late!" Before her mother could answer, she slammed the door behind her and was on her way.

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**Well, that was the first chapter! Hope you liked it! Kinda short, I know. Don't worry. It'll get better, I promise! Also I usually update quickly so you don't need to worry about that either. Please review!**


	2. Project Partners

Hi! It's me again. It's a good thing when I published this story I had 3 or 4 chapters. Yay! Okay, so without further ado...here's the second chapter!

Once Upon a Daydream

Chapter 2: Project Partners

Some Random Place

Ino sprinted down the streets of Konoha and turned left into an alleyway. There was the gang – Sakura, Tenten, Hinata, Naruto, Shikamaru, Sasuke, and Neji. They were all frowning. "Sorry I'm late guys! I had the weirdest dream, and…"

"Yeah, yeah…we don't really need to know," said Tenten.

"So, are you gonna have one of those wild parties again?" asked Naruto, who was eager to party non-stop and steal all the ramen.

"Huh?" said Ino, who was beginning to wonder if had a vision in her dream.

"Yeah, Ino," said Sakura, elbowing her lightly, "are ya?"

"Well, I guess so, I mean, don't I have one every year?" said Ino without thinking.

"YEA!" shouted Naruto and Sakura. Tenten threw confetti. The rest just smiled. Sasuke smirked.

"Neji-kun I'm going with you right?" Tenten asked her boyfriend and then added threateningly, "Because you know what I'm gonna do if I don't!"

Neji gulped. Last time he said no Tenten tied him up and shoved him in her closet for three days. "Sure, Tenten, I mean, why wouldn't I?" asked Neji nervously.

"Ino you'll invite the rest of the school too right?" asked Hinata. Over time, she had gotten a little more bold and able to speak her mind.

"Of course! I mean, it'll be the biggest party of the year so why shouldn't I invite everybody else?" said Ino cheerfully.

"AWESOME! I'll pick you up around 5 Hinata! But we're gonna be fashionably late as always!" said Naruto. He was always known for always arriving at parties one minute late.

"This will be one troublesome party, but I guess I'll come if everyone else is coming," said Shikamaru.

Ino had a flashback of her dream but shook it away. She snatched Neji's hand ("WTF!" exclaimed Neji ) and looked at his watch. "OMG! We're gonna be late for school!" she exclaimed and was on her way before anyone could say anything.

So that was the first chapter! Hope you liked it. In case you didn't know, all the girls are 16 (except Tenten, who is 17) and all the guys are 17. Please R&R. Thanks!

Hey, it's me! Last time Ino said she would have a party and our main characters were almost late for school. What happens next? Read to find out!

Konoha Highschool

Ino Yamanaka dashed down the hallways to her first period class _Crap, _she thought. _I hope I'm not late again! _ Right after she entered the classroom the bell rang. Ino took her seat next to Chouji and panted, obviously exhausted. She looked to her right. Chouji had his head down on his desk and a bag of potato chips in his hand. He was obviously sneak-eating again! _One of these days he'll get in trouble,_ thought Ino and shook her head. She looked to her left. The desk was empty! _Oh no, _thought Ino. _He's late again!_

Sure enough, five minutes after the bell rang, Shikamaru lazily entered the room. _Shikamaru hurry up and get to your seat while Asuma's not looking! _Ino thought furiously. _One more tardy and you're on your way to the detention room!_

Shikamaru seemed to understand what Ino was trying to tell him and ran to his seat a second before Asuma turned around. _That was close! Good job Shika, _thought Ino as a smile spread across her face. _But how, _she wondered, _did he know what I was thinking?_

"Don't you think that a guy with an I.Q. over 200 would know what you're trying to tell me?" asked Shikamaru lazily without looking at Ino.

"Uh, sure," said Ino. _Hey you know, he's kinda cute. Oops, I hope he didn't hear that_, thought Ino, blushing.

Shikamaru turned red. He had read Ino's thoughts. _Ino likes me? God, who knew?_ He thought. _Oh no, do I like her back? No, of course not, what was I thinking? She's my friend and all but I don't like her like that!_ He suddenly turned very red and had a very strange feeling, but he decided to ignore it.

"Attention class!" said Asuma, slapping the board with his ruler. "You're going to do a partner project that's due next Thursday. It will be a movie about whatever you like. The best project will be played on Movie Night next Friday. So partner up!"

Ino scanned the room. Naruto had partnered up with Hinata, Sasuke with Sakura, and Neji with Tenten. Ino was fuming mad that her friends had dumped her for somebody else. And her, of all people! Ino was about to kick somebody when Shikamaru tapped her on the shoulder. She whipped around and was about to slap Shikamaru, but then she realized it was him.

"Uh, wanna be my partner, Ino?" asked Shikamaru a little less lazier than usual. Ino looked surprised. She had totally forgotten about her friend. _Shikamaru?_ She thought. "Sure, why not?" she said.

"Great," said Shikamaru and smiled. "Come to my house after school." With that, he put his hands in his pockets and walked away. _Wait Shika where the hell are you going? Don't just leave me here! _Ino thought, hoping he heard it, but he just ignored it and walked away as if he hadn't heard it.

After School

"Okay so for the party you'll need a DJ, a DJ booth, a disco ball, refreshments, and don't forget the punch! Lots of it!" Sakura was looking at her clipboard and reading off it. "All of that will cost about…"

"Okay! I get it! Look, I appreciate the help, but I think I'm perfectly capable of planning it myself, no offense," said Ino, who was a little exasperated at her best friend's control freak ways.

"Fine! See how you do without my help!" said Sakura, turning away.

"Sakura it's her party after all give her a chance," said Sasuke. Hinata, Tenten, and Neji nodded.

"Okay, this is my stop," said Hinata with a wave. "Same here," said Neji and Sasuke. "Ino, don't you live here too?" asked Tenten, still waving to Neji.

"Yeah, but I'm going to Shikamaru's house today for the project," replied Ino.

"Oh, does that mean you like him?" asked Sakura, giggling.

"Uh…" Ino said and blushed.

"No it doesn't. The clouds are so nice," said Shikamaru, changing the subject.

"Oh, I get it!" shouted Naruto. "You two like each other don't you?"

Ino and Shikamaru blushed, looked at each other, then looked away almost instantly.

"Shika and Ino, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" sang Sakura and Naruto. Tenten threw confetti (A/N: Does she take confetti with her everywhere or something?)

"Oh look it's our stop let's go!" said Shikamaru hastily, grabbed Ino's hand, and ran towards his house.

"You know, there's still half a mile to your house," called Tenten, but it was too late. They were gone.

"Yup, they do like each other," said Naruto and grinned. Tenten and Sakura joined him.

Shikamaru and Ino

"Um, hey Shika-kun…" Ino said, slightly embarrassed.

"Yeah Ino?" Shikamaru replied.

"Um…do ya, you know, love me?" said Ino, looking away from him.

Shikamaru blushed. "Oh…why would you ask me that in the first place you troublesome woman?"

"Hey! Who are you calling troublesome! Sorry, um, I don't know, I kinda had a weird dream that I mentioned earlier…" Ino started blushing as well.

"Um…err…about what?"

"Oh, um, just something…I'll tell you some other time when we have more time…"

"Ino, it's a 35-minute walk."

"I know, but…"

"Okay, tell me some other time, I don't care."

"Okay…"

The rest of the way home both were silent, blushing, not looking at each other, and thinking. _Ino, you are so troublesome to ask me that. Well she's not that bad I mean she's pretty, smart, and…OH! Why do I always think like that! Snap out of it, Shikamaru! She's way too troublesome for you! Troublesome Ino, troublesome women, troublesome world! _Shikamaru thought and kicked a rock. _OHH!_ _I'm so stupid asking Shika-kun if he loves me or not! I mean, you can't just ask a guy if he loves you! It's just not right! Still…I wonder if he does love me. I mean, he always blushes around me and stuff…I just hope he doesn't reject me. I mean, even though he's Konoha's number one lazy ninja, I bet any girl would pay tons to have him as her boyfriend. Sigh…what am I thinking? There are tons of girls out there who are better than me…including Temari… _thought Ino as she stared at her feet.

Neither of them realized that they were standing right in front of Shikamaru's house.

"Huh? Oh. Ino, we're home," said Shikamaru and invited Ino inside.

Okay, so that was the second chapter. Things are getting better, but wait till ya see the third chapter. Please review!


	3. Troublesome Project

Once Upon a Daydream

Chapter 3: Troublesome Project

Shikamaru's House

Ino stepped in the Nara residence. The place was a perfect image of cleanliness. The slippery wooden floor was squeaky clean, the couches and table dusted, the books and papers organized neatly on the tables, and the windows wiped. Ino never saw a cleaner place. Shikamaru's place was so neat and tidy, it was so unlike him.

"Oh, sweetie, you're home! And you've brought Ino, too! How nice!" Shikamaru's mom stepped into the living room and greeted the two tired teens with her too-happy attitude.

"Mom, Ino and I are doing a project together."

Mrs. Nara grinned a huge grin. "Well, off you go to your room, I'll make sure nobody bothers you!" She walked off with a duster in her hand, humming a sweet tune.

"Come on, my room's this way." Shikamaru mumbled and pointed in a direction. He was quite embarrassed.

Ino followed Shikamaru into his room. She wasn't surprised at all to find it was the complete opposite of the rest of the house. Textbooks were piled on his desk, CD's, clothes, and books were scattered all over the room. The bed was a mess (Shikamaru never bothered to make it). The walls were empty except for the mural of the clouds in the sky painted on the ceiling. Ino put her hands on her hips.

"Honestly, Shikamaru, do you ever even think about cleaning your room?" said Ino angrily, picking up a magazine.

"Nah, it's too troublesome." Shikamaru looked at the mural painted above their heads.

"AHA! So this is what you did when you said you had to go to an orthodontist appointment! Here watching the clouds! I know you, and your teeth are the straightest in the world! You've never had braces and would never need them!" fumed Ino.

"Okay, okay! Sheesh! Ya don't have to rub it in my face!" Shikamaru yelled back.

Downstairs

Ino and Shikamaru's arguing was so loud that even Mr. and Mrs. Nara, who were downstairs, could hear it.

"Listen to that, will ya? They're arguing! Again!" said Shikato.

Mrs. Nara laughed a soft laugh. "But you know, they do love each other. They're just fighting to hide their feelings for each other. Flirting, actually."

"Now what makes you say that?" asked Shikato and smirked.

"Remember back when we were their age? We used to fight all the time and pretend to hate each other just to hide our feelings!" Mrs. Nara stated, staring out the window dreamily, as if she was trying to relive those days.

"Oh, yes. How could I forget?" Oh, and remember the time I came to your house on that rainy evening and told you how I felt?" Shikato joined his wife in staring out the window.

"Of course! I'll never forget that moment!" Mrs. Nara snapped back to reality and poured a cup of tea.

"So you're saying that Shikamaru and Ino are actually in love? That they'll end up just like us?" Shikato took a sip of tea.

"Let's hope so!" Mr. and Mrs. Nara both started laughing.

Shikamaru and Ino

"Aw, forget about it! We're wasting time anyways," said Shikamaru, who had clearly lost the fight.

"Yeah, sure," said Ino and took out a piece of paper and a pencil. Shikamaru did the same.

"So what do you want our movie to be about?" asked Shikamaru lazily.

"Well, I was thinking it could be a movie about drama, action, romance, and tragedy," said Ino dramatically. "Oh, and I want a lead role."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine, whatever. Troublesome."

"Hey! I just thought of a great idea! How about we convince Asuma-sensei to let the other guys work with us? Then we could have more characters and the movie could be a lot longer and more exciting!" exclaimed Ino.

"Well, a 3 ½ hour movie sure is troublesome for two alone, so…I guess," agreed Shikamaru.

"Okay, well, what are you waiting for you lazy bum? Let's go!" Ino headed for the door, but unfortunately a shoe (a shoe? Totally random sorry…) was in her way and she tripped with a scream and landed on top of Shikamaru.

Shikamaru looked up and saw Ino's face just a few inches from his. _Oh my god…Ino-chan is this close to me…_thought the lazy ninja and turned a deep red. Ino, who had just noticed this, too, also turned a deep red. _Am I dreaming? Shika-kun and me in this position? It can't be happening! Should I kiss him?_

The teenagers' thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Yoo-hoo? Shikamaru, Ino, are you alright?" Ino instinctively got up and so did Shikamaru.

"Uh…yeah, Mom, we're fine," said Shikamaru, who was still blushing. Mrs. Nara opened the door. "Don't lock yourselves in here, it'll get stuffy!" With that, she left.

Ino, who was also blushing, grabbed Shikamaru's hand and headed for the door. Shikamaru took a look at his hand being grabbed by Ino. Her hand was slightly smaller than his and felt warm. "Come on, let's go!"

At School

After telling Neji, Tenten, Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata, they all agreed that it was a good plan and headed towards Asuma's door. Tenten knocked three times and heard their teacher say, "Come in".

Tenten opened the door, revealing herself and her friends. Asuma put down the papers that he was grading and smiled as the gang stepped in. "Hello. What can I do for you?"

"Well, you know for the project…" Sakura started.

"…Do you think…" Hinata continued.

"…that we could work on it together?" finished Naruto.

Asuma put a cigarette in his mouth and thought for a moment. "All of you want to work together for one movie?" Everyone nodded. "Please?" said Ino. "It's too troublesome for two people alone to work on one movie," said Shikamaru.

Asuma rubbed his chin and said, "All right, I guess you can work on it together." Everyone cheered. Tenten threw confetti AGAIN.

"Okay. Thank you so much Asuma-sensei!" Ino thanked and headed out the door with everyone else.

The Park

Sasuke, Sakura, Ino, Shikamaru, Naruto, Hinata, Tenten, and Neji sat in a circle on the grass field at the park (in that order).

"Soo…watcha want the move to be about?" inquired Sakura.

"As I mentioned to Shikamaru before, it should be about drama, action, romance, and tragedy, and I should have a lead role," said Ino in that same dramatic tone. Tenten giggled. Sakura rolled her eyes at her best friend but wrote it down. The rest scoffed, smirked, coughed, or twitched their eyes.

"I think that's a great idea Ino," said Hinata.

"Okay, yeah. Then the pairs will be…me and Sasuke, Neji and Tenten, Naruto and Hinata, and Ino and Shikamaru…"

"Hold up! Why do I have to be with Miss Troublesome here?" Shikamaru interrupted. "And why do I have to be with this cloud-watching lazy bum?" complained Ino.

"Because," Sakura rolled her eyes, "it's obvious you two like each other. Admit it!"

Ino and Shikamaru held pencils threateningly in the air. Sakura could see both of them blushing and whispered something to Sasuke, who snickered and told Neji, who told Tenten, and so on.

"What's this, are we playing a game of_ TELEPHONE_ or something?" said Ino angrily. When it reached the last person (excluding Ino and Shikamaru) everyone burst out laughing except, of course, the couple.

"Troublesome…" muttered Shikamaru and blushed even more. Yes, this was going to be a very long day, indeed.

Hey guys! I'm back. So that was the third chapter. Sorry if it wasn't as good as I said it would be. This is my first fanfiction so it's not that good…if you don't like it, go ahead. Send the flames.


	4. But Still I Wonder

Hey! It's me again! Sorry for the slow update. These days I'm not on often, so sorry to keep you all waiting. Okay, then, here's the fourth chapter!

Once Upon a Daydream

Chapter 4: But still I wonder…

"Come here, Tenten! I want to see you for a second." Neji pulled Tenten towards the parking lot.

"What the – why are we here?" They came to a car with a veil on top of it. Neji pulled the veil away, and…

"Gasp! OMG it's the new Mercedes-Benz model! I've always wanted one! Oh, Neji, you shouldn't have!" Tenten exclaimed.

"Okey-dokey," said Neji, and walked away. Tenten pulled him back as Sakura yelled, "CUT!"

"Neji, you're supposed to kiss her! Did you even READ the script!" yelled Sakura furiously. Neji was silent. "Script? What script?"

This caused Sakura to go beserk. "NEJI! MAN I KNEW WE SHOULD'VE HIRED SOMEONE ELSE TO DO THIS! That's it! I quit! Someone else be the director!" She got out of her director's chair and handed her clipboard to Ino. "Here, Ino, you do it! It was your idea in the first place!"

"Okay…" Ino got up on the chair. "Places, everyone! This time, do it right! Alright! Take 1,642! Action!"

"Gasp! OMG it's the new Mercedes-Benz! Oh, Neji, you shouldn't have!" said Tenten.

"Anything for you," said Neji (finally he got it right!) and leaned down to kiss her.

"Aw, isn't that cute Hinata?" said Naruto, looking at the couple. Hinata nodded.

"Okay, cut! That was great, people! Okay, now for Naruto and Hinata's scene! Sasuke and Shikamaru, come in! And…action!"

"Oh, Naruto, this is the most romantic evening ever! I can't think of anything that would spoil it!" said Hinata.

Sasuke and Shikamaru, who were dressed up as sound ninjas, entered the scene.

"STOP! You two lovebirds have trespassed our property! Now we shall fight!" yelled Sasuke.

"No! I won't let you hurt Hinata! You'll have to go through me first!"

"You foolish boy, don't you understand? You will never win against us!" shouted Shikamaru and started attacking Naruto.

"Don't worry Hinata! I'll be okay!" said Naruto, who pulled out fake shurikens and started throwing them. Sasuke dodged them and knocked Naruto off his feet.

"NOOOOOO!" shouted Naruto as he fell backwards in slow motion. Hinata rushed to him. "Look what you've done to my precious Naruto! Now you will face my fury!" yelled Hinata and fought them with all her strength. She punched Shikamaru in the stomach and Sasuke in the back of the head. They were knocked senseless.

"And, cut! That was great! Okay, that will be all for today. Come back here tomorrow after school." With that, Ino got out of the chair, folded it, and walked home.

Ino was walking down the long, winding road to the flower shop when she noticed a letter taped to a tree. Curious, she bent in to read the small lettering. "To Ino", it read.

"What's this? A letter for me?" She ripped it off of the tree and opened it. It read,

_Dear Ino,_

_Meet me at the hill tomorrow after practice. There is something I need to tell you._

_Shikamaru_

Ino folded it up again and put it in her pocket. _Shikamaru…_she thought. _Hm. Wonder what he has to tell me._

She was thinking this all the way home. When she finally got home, she saw a note taped to the door. "Another note? What is with this world?" Nevertheless, she read it. _Gone on a mission. Be back in a week. Take care. Love, Dad. _She unlocked the door and went in. _Oh, well, at least Dad will be gone for the whole week,_ thought Ino as she plopped on her bed. _But still I wonder…_

Well, that was the fourth chapter! I know, it's kinda short. I just wanted to temporarily entertain readers while I come up with something. Hope you were entertained. I'm pretty sure the next chapter will be a whole lot better. Please review! Thanks! See ya soon!


	5. An Unexpected Meeting

**Whew! I'm finally back and ready to rock! The long (well, not so long considering it's only been a few days since I last updated…) wait is over! Yay!**

**3/25/08 edit: After putting this story off for a very, very long time, I've finally decided to finish it once and for all. I've had a bit of confusion about Temari crashing the party, since she was invited, so I changed the chapter a bit. Hope you like!**

**Oh, yeah, I keep forgetting to add a disclaimer…oops! .**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. :P**

Once Upon a Daydream

Chapter 5: An Unexpected Meeting

Ino's House

_To Temari_

_You are invited to my party next Friday. Be at my house at 6 p.m. RSVP sometime before the party. _

_Ino_

Ino hastily scribbled the last invitation, a.k.a. Temari's on a plain piece of notebook paper, and stuffed it in her bag. She almost regretted inviting Temari. She didn't know why, she just never really liked her, that's all. Then suddenly, Ino sensed that something bad would happen if she did—a dreadful, dark feeling. She quickly crumpled up her invite and threw it in the trash. She glanced at the pretty purple digital alarm clock she got for Christmas. It was 5:30. There was still time to buy party materials. She grabbed her purse and flew out the door. After she locked it, she hopped on her bike and was on the go.

Shikamaru's House

_I wonder if Ino got my note,_ wondered Shikamaru, nervously twiddling his thumbs, a thing he only did if he was really nervous about something, as he walked in his house. He had planned to tell Ino something important, he wanted to express his true feelings for her. He planned to start it out with a lovely late afternoon walk, then bring her to her favorite spot (a.k.a. the hill) and break it to her.

"Mom? Dad? Are you home?" he called. When there was no reply, he walked in the kitchen nonchalantly to grab a snack. Just as he was fixing himself a sandwich, he noticed a note on the kitchen table.

_Shikamaru,_

_Your father and I have gone to a meeting. Please go to the grocery store and pick up all the items on the shopping list on the back._

_Love,_

_Mom and Dad_

Shikamaru flipped to the other side of the paper and sighed. He grabbed his wallet and lazily walked out the door. The marketplace wasn't far from his house, so he decided to walk there.

At the marketplace

_Hm…which are better, blue or pink streamers? _Ino thought as she pondered her choice between the two colors.

Shikamaru, who had just arrived at the store Ino was at, spotted a slender blonde with her hair tied up in a long ponytail. He smiled. _Ino. Bet she's here for party materials._ He walked up to her surreptitiously.

"If I may make a suggestion, I think blue fits the occasion better," stated Shikamaru. Ino jumped up in surprise and instinctively threw the blue streamers in her shopping cart. Nobody had to tell her it was Shikamaru. She knew by his voice, after years of hearing him talk.

Without turning her head, she said casually, "Shikamaru, what brings you here?"

"Oh, nothing, just picking up a few supplies for my folks."

This time Ino turned around to face him. "Oh, okay, then. Do you mind if I join you? I still have a few supplies on my list as well." Shikamaru nodded his head in agreement. "Okay, I don't see why not."

The two continued down the aisles of the store, talking. Shikamaru really wasn't expecting to see Ino before the "big day", but he assumed it was alright.

"So, did ya study for the math test tomorrow?" asked Shikamaru, taking a box of cake mix down from the shelf and tossing it in his cart.

"Oh, yeah, though I'm pretty sure I'll flunk it. I suck at algebra!" answered Ino, scavenging through the cups and plates.

_Oh, yeah, that reminds me! Shikamaru wanted to see me after school…_

Shikamaru, having read Ino's mind, said, "So you did get the note. So, you up to it?"

Ino smiled. "It's a date. Er, well…you know what I mean," said Ino, blushing.

"Yeah." Shikamaru originally was planning to ask her out, and he actually considered it a date but was okay if Ino didn't.

"Oh! I almost forgot! I need to give you something, Shikamaru," said Ino and shuffled through her purse. She pulled out a cream-colored envelope that read "To Shikamaru". She handed it to him.

Shikamaru lifted an eyebrow as he received and opened it.

_To Shikamaru_

_You are invited to my party! Be at my house at 5 p.m. on Friday. I need you to help me make some preparations. ;) I know you'll come. Won't you?_

_Ino_

Unlike Temari's invitation, Shikamaru's was written in her best handwriting in purple sparkly gel pen and it was on a sheet of white paper with a border created by small purple hearts.

Shikamaru smiled. "You know I will. Of course I'm coming!" Ino cheered at this and hugged him. Shikamaru turned crimson. If you could see him you would think he had a very high fever.

"Oh. Sorry," apologized Ino, blushing as she freed herself from the hug. "Well, I have all my items. I better get going. See you tomorrow, Shikamaru!" With that, she left.

"Bye…Ino," muttered Shikamaru even though he knew she was too far away to hear him. _Now I can't wait for tomorrow. I can't stand hiding my true feelings any longer. _

**Yup! That's the fifth chapter. Hey, at least it's longer than the last one! Hope you liked it! Please review!**


	6. The Sleepover

Okay, this next chapter will hopefully be better! Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I'm too busy… T.T Oh, well, here it is, the sixth chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I wish I did, so Shikamaru and Ino could go together… -sniff-

Once Upon a Daydream

Chapter 6: The Sleepover

Some random place

"Here Tenten, here's your invite!" said Ino cheerfully, handing a silver envelope to her friend.

"Wow, thanks Ino! Did you invite everybody else?" asked the weapons master.

"Of course I did, why wouldn't I?"

"Good. Then in that case, let's go!" Tenten grabbed a jacket and pulled Ino's arm out the door.

"Go? To where?"

"DUH! To Hinata's sleepover, of course! My, Ino, do you have a bad memory!"

"How come nobody told me!" asked Ino, who was getting slightly annoyed.

"Of course we told you! You were just too busy swooning over _your precious Shika-kun _to notice!"

"Yeah, that's tru – hey!" Ino blushed with anger as her friend giggled. "Come on, we don't have all day!" Tenten started running, still pulling Ino.

The Hyuga Residence

DING-DONG!

"Coming!" a voice from inside the house chirped.

The door flew open, revealing an enthusiastic Tenten and a frustrated Ino.

"Tenten! Ino! My God, what took you so long?" asked Hinata, hugging them as Sakura rushed to them.

"Ino was –" Before Tenten could finish her sentence, Ino clamped her hand over her mouth and gave her a death glare indicating that she should shut up.

"– buying party materials!" finished Ino with a fake smile.

Sakura stared at her two friends suspiciously, then smiled and dragged them in. "Come on! We're doing makeovers!"

An hour later

"Ooh, I _love_ this dress!" exclaimed Sakura, twirling around in the silk pink halter dress (complete with cherry blossom print) that her friends picked for her a matching pink scarf. She was wearing pink high heels with sequins and cherry blossom earrings.

"Me too!" giggled Hinata and admired her long ivory sleeveless dress and matching ivory heels. To complete the picture, she was wearing a pearl necklace and earrings. "It really brings out your eyes!" complimented Ino. Sakura and Tenten nodded.

"I look like I'm going on a date," commented Tenten, who was in a red Chinese-style dress which came up to right above her knees. She was wearing black boots and finally let her hair down. She was carrying a small red purse and wearing red disc earrings.

"So do I," said Ino, striking a pose in a tight purple dress that complimented her perfect figure. She wore purple ballet flats and also let her hair down. Sparkly purple butterfly earrings and matching hairclips were a great contrast to her long golden hair.

DING-DONG!

"Now who could that be?" Sakura wondered aloud, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Ino opened the door. It was the four boys, Naruto, Sasuke, Neji, and Shikamaru.

"Oh, the boys are here!" Hinata exclaimed excitedly, rushing over to the door with Tenten and Sakura following her.

"Whoa, you guys look…" began Sasuke, looking at the girls' fancy dresses, Sakura's in particular.

"…Amazing." Finished Shikamaru, blushing at how good Ino looked. He never knew Ino was so thin…and beautiful. And she looked much better with her hair down.

"Well, are you going to come in or what?" asked Tenten, putting her hands on her hips. Neji smiled at her. She looked amazing with her hair down.

"Yeah, sure," said Naruto, who was in a trance from Hinata's beautiful figure.

As they entered, they all sat down on the floor or on the couch.

"Okay, who's up for a game of truth or dare?" asked Ino, grinning mischievously.

Well, that's the end of the sixth chapter! Hope you guys like it! I know, I know, there's not much romance in this chapter, but romantic stuff comes later! Just wait and find out!

-xxforbiddendreemz


	7. Tears

Okay, finally the next chapter! Hope you guys like it!

I changed this chapter a little…TheLovelyNatalieRose informed me that I put Hinata and Naruto in a room together but in the last version of the chapter I made her yell at Shikamaru…O.o Well, thanks to TheLovelyNatalieRose!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, sadly. T.T

Once Upon a Daydream

Chapter 7: Tears

Hyuga Residence

"Who's up for a game of truth or dare?" asked Ino, grinning mischievously.

"Sure, why not?" replied Neji.

"That would be FUN!" squealed Hinata. Everybody nodded in agreement.

"Okay, I go first. Sasuke, truth or dare?" asked Ino.

"I pick truth."

"Okay…who was your last kiss with?"

"…Naruto…"

Everybody either gagged or shuddered in fear. Suddenly Sakura stood up. "Well, that's about to change!" She walked over and kissed Sasuke with much intensity and passion.

"Ooooh!" sang Tenten and Ino. Hinata giggled, Neji smirked, Naruto wolf whistled, and Shikamaru had no reaction whatsoever.

After their kiss ended, Sasuke quickly turned red and muttered, "Sakura." Sakura, who was satisfied, walked back to her seat and Hinata punched her lightly in the shoulder and whispered, "Good job, Sakura!"

"Okay, Sasuke, your turn," said Sakura, slightly blushing.

"Um…Tenten, truth or dare?" said Sasuke, who was still blushing.

'Truth!" chirped Tenten.

"YES! FINALLY! MUAHAHAHA!" yelled Sasuke. Everybody sweat dropped.

(A/N: Okay, okay, I know that was really OOC so that didn't really happen. I just felt like doing that :D)

What really happened was:

"Okay, Tenten, why do you always carry confetti with you?" asked Sasuke, who had been dying to find out for ages.

"I LIKE CONFETTI! GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT, BUB!" screamed Tenten in Sasuke's face. He nodded very quickly and cowered in fear.

When Tenten had calmed down, she asked, "Okay, Naruto, truth or dare?"

"Dare! I'm not afraid of anything!"

"Okay! Lock yourself and Hinata in that room together for 30 minutes!" Tenten said, indicating a small closet. Naruto and Hinata blushed but got up and locked themselves in that room (with Naruto muttering, "You're dead, Tenten" on the way there).

From the closet, Naruto yelled, "Sakura, truth or dare?"

"Dare!" Sakura shouted back.

"Okay! I dare you to get drunk, then go into a room with SASUKE alone!"

"WHAT! Naruto, you are SO dead!" screamed Sakura, then grabbed Sasuke by the collar and a bottle of sake and going into one of the rooms. On the way there, Sakura stopped and said, "Shikamaru, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Okay, so..." said Sakura with a dirty look on her face.

_Oh, no,_ thought Shikamaru. _Please don't ask if…_

"Do you like Ino?" Sakura blurted out.

Shikamaru slapped his forehead and cussed in his mind several times.

_Oh my god…I knew this was coming! What do I say? What do I do? If I tell them I do, they'll tease me forever! If I don't, Ino will never let me go alive! Wait, I've got an idea…_

Shikamaru took a deep breath and said, "No."

Ino's eyes widened and her heart was shattered in a million pieces. _Shika-kun…doesn't like me? But…but I thought…No, Ino. Did you see that look on his face? He really doesn't mean it! Face it, Ino! You can't trust anybody! _Ino bit her lip to hold back her tears, but she swore she felt a few tears escape from her eyes. She couldn't take it anymore! She quickly stood up and ran out the door, slamming it behind her. Shikamaru blinked and took it all in. She was gone.

Tenten turned to Shikamaru with an angry face."You lied and made her cry! You're so mean, Shikamaru!" yelled Tenten and hit him on the head.

"Ow! Hey! Okay, I'll talk to her! Geez!" Shikamaru fled out the door.

"Hey, what about the – " Neji began, but was interrupted by the slamming of the door.

Ooh, cliffhanger! Well, sort of. Sorry it was kinda short. Hope you liked it! Who knows what will happen next? Me! You'll see in the next chapter… -mysterious look- Review please!


	8. Shika's Plan: Phase 2

Well, I know you're all dying to read the next chapter, so…what are you waiting for?

Oh, yeah…and also I wanted to thank my friend singingrain for reviewing almost every chapter. Thank you so much! I know you're reading this right now!

So anyways, read on!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, sadly. T.T

Once Upon a Daydream

Chapter 8: Come Back to Me

Outside the Hyuga Residence

"Ino! Ino! Wait up!" shouted Shikamaru as he ran to catch up with the blonde.

Ino stopped for a moment, eyes full of tears, then shook her head and continued on without a word or even looking at Shikamaru.

"Ino, wait! We need to talk! Don't leave! Please!" Shikamaru tried desperately to call her back, but it was no use. Ino continued on down the long, winding path, now slowing down to a walking pace.

"Ino…" Shikamaru said softly.

Ino turned around. Her face was blotchy and red and tear-stained. All her makeup ran down her face. _Wow, she looks like she was really hurt, _thought Shikamaru. _I've never seen her like this…_

Ino looked at Shikamaru with a sad, longing look on her face, and then it turned to an angry look. "What do you want?" she growled.

Shikamaru stepped back. "Are you okay? You look really beat up." Ino bared her teeth, calmed down and resumed the sad face, shook her head, and turned around, continuing down the path. Shikamaru just stood there. _What was I thinking? Of course she was beat up…by my words just because I lied. Oh, I feel so stupid! Why did I have to lie? Of course I'd rather be loved by Ino than by those guys! I could just hit myself! _Without thinking, Shikamaru slapped himself across the face. His mouth was now bleeding and his cheek was swollen and purple.

Ino stopped but did not say anything or turn around. She kept walking.

Shikamaru followed her until she went into her house. Shikamaru wanted to step in, but the door met his face instead as Ino slammed it. "Ino…" Shikamaru sighed, and then walked in the direction of his home. Then, he smiled to himself. Phase two of the plan went just as planned. Tomorrow, phase three of the plan would come in action. He was going to mend her heart forever.

Okay, sorry guys. That was really short. But the next chapter will be a whole lot better and longer, promise!


	9. Shika’s Plan: Phase 3, Part 1

It's me again! I am so, so, so, so, so, so, SO sorry to keep you waiting for so long…it's just that…well, school started (yes, I go to a year-round school and we just got back from fall break) and I'm busier than ever! And my computer totally lost its connection to the Internet for a few days, so sorry for the delay. And so I had to save this on a memory stick and submit it on another computer with Internet. Come to think of it, I should have thought of it before. Oh, sorry to keep you waiting! Here's the ninth chapter. WOOHOO!!! Sorry.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto…sob

Just to clarify things, single _italicized _words means emphasis on that word.

Once Upon a Daydream

Chapter 9: Shika's Plan: Phase 3, Part 1

Ino's House

Ino wrote in her diary after several hours of sitting in her room with the door closed and crying:

_Dear Diary,_

_How could he do this to me? I thought he loved me…I thought what we had was special…I can't believe I was wrong, thinking that he loved me ever since our junior high days! I mean, me, Yamanaka Ino, the matchmaker, the advice giver, the fortune-teller, the know-it-all on relationships, the master of love, whatever you want to call me. And now here I am sitting in my room, crying my heart out and writing in you after I can cry no more. I guess Shika-kun and I were never more than…just friends. It pains me to say it, but it's true. But still, I hate myself for just leaving him there. I mean, even though he doesn't love me, I still feel for him. And what I feel for him…is a whole lot more than what he feels for me. What I feel is love. True love. And I feel sorry just seeing him sad, even though I feel a lot more sorry for myself._

_Hoping your life is far less complicated than mine,_

_Ino_

Ino closed her diary and hid it under her mattress. She thought for a while, and then she made a decision. She never wanted to see Shikamaru, or anyone who was at the sleepover, again. She was going to stay in her house and never come out, no matter what the circumstances. She was even going to cut school. Ino blew her nose on a tissue and laid down on her bed. _Yeah, that's the right way! I'll show them, _was her last thought before she closed her eyes and went to sleep.

The alleyway

"Ugh, where's Ino?" asked Shikamaru, looking at his watch and pacing around the hangout.

"Dude, you need to chill," said Tenten calmly and tossed a dart at her darts board (all of the darts on her board are in the center of the target, of course).

"How can you not be worried? School starts in, like, 10 minutes!" Shikamaru practically yelled in Tenten's face.

"Well, if it makes ya feel better, I did get a note from Ino," said Sakura, offering a small, folded piece of paper between her fingers. Shikamaru immediately snatched it from her hand.

_Dear Sakura & Others,_

_Don't expect to see me again. I'm never leaving this house._

_Yours truly,_

_Ino_

Shikamaru crumpled the piece of paper and tossed it at the trash can, missing it. "How dare she do this to me? Just because I said I didn't love her? Ugh, Ino, you despicable…!" He yelled, and Sasuke placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Just cool it, okay, Shikamaru? I got beat up by Sakura yesterday and I'm sure that's way worse that what you've experienced." Sasuke said.

Shikamaru relaxed his shoulders and began to slouch again. He leaned against the wall, slid down the wall, and sat down. "You have no idea what I feel, okay? So don't even ask me about it." Hearing this, Sasuke retreated and sat down in an old chair that somebody threw away. Hinata, who was sitting on the dumpster (the lid is down) with Sakura, and painting her nails, frowned. "Do you think she really means it?"

Neji scoffed. "Doubt it. Knowing Ino, she'll probably come out after a few hours."

Sakura ran a hand through her hair and said darkly, "You never know, Neji. Remember the time Ino was dumped by her corny boyfriend? What was his name again? I remember it was in seventh, no, eighth grade. Anyways, she sat in the corner of her room for four days straight. She didn't even eat and she ignored her parents. Afterwards she told me she never loved him. I know, she can be very strange sometimes." She bit into a rice ball and checked her watch. "OMG! We better run!"

Konoha High School

"Okay, class, today is the deadline for your project. If you have not turned it in yet, please do." Asuma sat down in his desk and began checking off projects.

"Where's the tape?" Shikamaru asked, frantically searching through his backpack. He had to admit, their movie was pretty good, but now he had no clue as to where it might be.

"Oh, no!" Hinata exclaimed as she remembered something.

"Don't tell me…" said Naruto.

"Yeah…Ino has it."

"What! But she's not here today!" exclaimed Neji, grabbing his cousin's shoulders threateningly.

"Well, then, we've got to talk to Asuma," said Tenten, separating Neji from a scared Hinata.

So…

"Yes, what is it?" asked Asuma.

"Um…Ino has our tape and she's not here today." Sakura explained

"Oh. Well, that's okay. You can turn it in later today. Just make sure it's good, I expect a lot from a big group!" Asuma said and turned back to the tests he was grading. Everyone sighed of relief.

"What's wrong with Ino? It's not like her to not come to school," said Naruto as the bell rang.

"I don't know, Naruto. But I do know this: _somebody_'s gonna talk to her, and I think that somebody should be _you_, Shikamaru," said Hinata (wow, she's really changed!).

"Yeah, Shikamaru! You broke her heart! Now tell her ya love her and you can live happily ever after!" Tenten said and Sakura and Naruto nodded.

"Okay, okay, sheesh! You guys are so troublesome!" Shikamaru muttered hastily as he grabbed his things and headed for the door. _Perfect. Everything is going exactly as planned. Hm, maybe breaking her heart wasn't exactly one of my best ideas, but, hey, at least I get to fix that._ Shikamaru grinned on the inside. Today was going to be very troublesome, but it was all worth it…

Yeah, I know it's kinda shorter than you expected it to be, and I'm so sorry for that. It's just that I'm so busy these days and I hardly have any time. Plus now I'm grounded and my computer totally lost its connection to the Internet. I can still update on the weekends sometimes, though (whew!).


	10. AN: Vote!

Sorry, it's another author note! But I have decided to do a vote:

A. End the story after Shika mends Ino's heart and after the dance of course. There's not that much left to write, so, yeah.

B. Continue the story. I could write about relationships, and even put Temari in the picture. As much as I hate her, I'm willing to sacrifice my happiness to make viewers happy. Plus InoShikaTema's not that bad. As long as Ino wins Shikamaru. GR. I'm very strict about that.

C. Give up on this fic. I don't really want to do this, but if you guys truly think this sucks, big time, I'll do it.

Please vote. It means a lot to me.

Also, not to advertise or anything, but please if you can check out my other fic, **Meant to Be**. I just recently wrote it, so not many people have read or reviewed it. So thanks!


	11. Shika’s Plan: Phase 3, Part 2

**What's up y'all? I'm back! Okay, I had a lot of votes saying B, but also some saying A too. I don't like to do majority, so I'm going to do a cross between A/B. Instead of ending the story here, I'm going to write a few more chappies and end there. And I swear this chapter will be long and sweet!**

**Okay, I just realized how confusing my story looks because you can't tell the author notes from the actual text, and I'm sorry for that. It's just because on Word I used equal signs and that squiggly line thing (what do you call it? On the keyboard it's on the left of 1.), and so it didn't show up when I submitted it. I fixed this chapter and I'm working on fixing the others, but right now that's not the problem now is it?**

**I would like to dedicate this chapter to some of my best friends on _singingrain, TheLovelyNatalieRose, 'A'lusy, Tannenbaum Bell, _and_ Durgadevi the Great_. They are so awesome and supportive! Love ya guys! **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. (Cool! I'm a hobo! I mean, AHHH!!! I'm a hobo!!!)**

XXXXX

**Once Upon a Daydream**

**Chapter 11: Shika's Plan: Phase 3, Part 2**

**Ino**

Ino sat at the edge of her bed. She had sat there doing nothing the whole day. She didn't sleep last night, and didn't bother to eat (she went to the bathroom occasionally). She had a high fever all day, and her clothes were starting to get baggier. Her parents, who had come back, were trying all day to get Ino out of her room, but she wouldn't budge. They eventually gave up and left her there.

"If you won't come out, then that's fine with us. Just starve to death!" They had said reluctantly and went back to their own business.

_I wonder what my friends are doing at this very moment, _thought Ino, gazing at her watch. It was 3:15. School was out minutes ago, and her friends were probably heading home.

XXXXX

**Shikamaru**

Shikamaru heard the bell rang, picked up his stuff, and headed out the door. Ino had been absent from all classes (obviously) and he and the gang missed him like crazy. Of course, they were still mad at him for making her so upset, and hadn't talked to him all day. He tried to talk to them, but when he said "hi", they would just leave after muttering a "humph".

Now Shikamaru walked down the hallways with his hands stuffed in his pockets. _The plan is going along well, but I never thought they would hate me this much! Man…so troublesome! _(AN: Troublesome, I love that word! Read on, sorry!)

Shikamaru was still thinking this as he walked down the streets. Was his plan going too far? He thought as he walked by the park. _I remember shooting the movie here, _he thought and shook it away. It was too sad to remember. Even though he had expected this, he felt sorrow for his blonde friend and crush.

Shika (AN: too lazy, so yeah) turned a corner. _There it is Ino's house. _He walked up to it and knocked. "Ino, ya there?"

He waited. There was no response.

Shika sighed. "Ino, please. I've come here to apologize. I…didn't really mean what I said." This was true, although he didn't expect Ino to realize that.

Still no response.

"Ino, I have a key. If you don't come down right now I'll have to use it," said Shika threateningly. Ino's parents had entrusted him with a key to their house in case anything happened to their daughter. They depended on him to take care of her if they were gone.

There was a pause, then footsteps were heard. The door opened, revealing a very pale and tired-looking Ino. Her usually rosy cheeks were pure white, and she didn't even bother putting on makeup or tying up her hair. It now lay in a sad, messy clump on her head. She didn't bother to dress like her usual vain self, just a plain T-shirt and jeans. Shikamaru looked at Ino and couldn't help noticing how…messy she looked.

Ino noticed this and slapped his face weakly. Shikamaru didn't say anything. Ino was so out of energy that it didn't even hurt.

Shikamaru finally snapped to attention. "Hi," he let out carefully.

Ino glared at him. "Hi," she replied, a little more forcefully.

"So…ya wanna go out for a walk? It's a nice day," said Shikamaru casually.

Ino shrugged. "I don't know. I told my folks I'd stay home, but…"

"Come on, it's okay. They'll understand."

Upon hearing this, Ino said, "Be right back. I need to change." She headed upstairs.

Shikamaru waited about half an hour, and finally Ino came down and said, "Okay, I'm ready. Let's go."

Ino wore a white hoodie with a purple spaghetti strap underneath and a black miniskirt. Her hair was combed and tied in a ponytail with a sparkly purple hair tie. Matching eye shadow and mascara was applied, and Ino wore blush to hide her paleness. She also wore the same sparkly purple butterfly earrings as at the sleepover (AN: Flashback, Ch. 6) Shika couldn't help noticing how good she looked.

"Wow," said Shika, "you look…great!" He started to blush (AN: again, Ch. 6)

Ino blushed. (AN: Aw…so cute! Gotta love the fluff!) "Thanks," she said, not knowing what else to say.

Shika scratched the back of his head. "Uh…we should go now."

Ino was first to recover. "Right," she said and dragged Shikamaru away.

It was a lovely afternoon for a walk, and the two lovesick teens had nothing to say. They just walked awkwardly, looking everywhere but at the other person. Occasionally one would stumble over a rock or pebble, blush, and mutter, "sorry".

They were walking silently with very little conversation, through the park, through school, through all of Konoha when they finally came to the one place they haven't walked through yet…

Shika led Ino through a maze of bushes. "Shika-kun, where are we going?"

Shika grinned. "A very special place."

Ino was confused, but when they got there it all became clear to her.

Shika had brought them to Ino's favorite place, the hill overlooking Konoha. The tree with all its green leaves was gone, but instead lanterns were hung on it. Underneath was a picnic blanket with a lit candle and a basket of food.

Ino gasped. "You…you remembered…"

Shika grinned again. "Of course I did. Where else would I pick?"

This place was very special to the both of them because right here was where they met. They could both remember it very clearly…

XXXXX

**Flashback**

Ino sat under her tree on top of the hill. (AN: She is about 6 or 7) She looked at the houses. It was after school, and she was crying. Her day had been miserable. This was when she had been bullied and picked on, for being unique, for being an outcast.

_Flashback _(AN: Yeah, I know it's weird having a flashback in a flashback, but I gotta do it!)

"Hey, look, everybody! It's Ino!" Two girls had come and knocked her down.

"Hey Ino, what's with your hair? It's so long and ugly!" One of the girls had said. She grabbed her hair.

"Hey! Cut it out!" Ino had yelled. But it was too late.

The other girl pulled out scissors and snipped away at her beautiful golden hair.

"Oops, I accidentally cut your hair! Hope you don't mind, Ino!" The girl with the scissors said sarcastically, laughed, and walked off with her friend.

_End Flashback_

Now Ino sat crying, thinking of how miserable her life is.

What she didn't know was that a pair of eyes was watching her behind a bush. The figure emerged.

"Hey there. Ino, right?" Shika said kindly.

Ino looked up at the stranger. "Who…who are you? How do you know my name?"

The stranger smiled and sat down with her. "My name's Nara Shikamaru. I was watching you get bullied today. I feel so sorry for you. Those girls are nothing but troublesome."

Ino blinked. "I-I'm Ino. Yamanaka Ino. Thank…thank you."

Shikamaru grinned. "No problem. Wanna be friends?"

Ino smiled. "Sure…Shika-kun!"

Shika blinked. Had she just called him Shika-kun? Nobody ever called him that except Temari. "Wait, what did you call me?"

"Shika-kun! I called you Shika-kun, if that's okay with you!" Ino giggled.

Shika smiled. "Of course. Call me that."

"Oh, thank you so much Shika-kun!" Ino said and hugged Shika. He blushed.

"Ah…don't mention it!" He said.

**End Flashback**

XXXXX

**Now**

"Oh, Shika-kun, I…I don't know what to say!" Ino said with mixed emotions.

Shika smiled. "You don't have to know." He led Ino to the blanket and sighed heavily.

"Look, Ino. I'm sorry for upsetting you. I really am. I…didn't mean it," Shika said, looking at the ground.

Ino looked confusedly at her companion. "You mean to say…you lied?"

Shika sighed. _Just tell her and get on with it. _"Well, actually…yes."

"So that means…"

Shikamaru stopped. He grasped Ino's hands in his own. "Yes. Ino…I…I love you."

Ino's eyes started to widen. Tears filled her eyes. "Rea-really?"

Shika gave her a comforting grin. "Yes."

Ino couldn't take it anymore. She pressed her head against Shikamaru's rather muscular chest, tears of joy sprouting from her eyes.

"Oh, Shika, I…you know I love you too!"

"Yes, I know, Ino. Yes, I know." Shikamaru put his arms around her.

XXXXX

**So, what do you think? Was that good? It's a little shorter than I expected it to be, but that's okay. I've got another chapter coming really soon! Oh, and sorry if this chapter is so cute it makes you sick. I will not be responsible for anything that happens to you!!! R and R!**


	12. From a Different Perspective

**Wow, I finally got two chapters in one day! Yay me! –claps hands in horrible attempt to imitate London Tipton from _The Suite Life of Zack and Cody _(which btw I do not own)-**

**Okay, first I want to say Happy Thanksgiving! Our Thanksgiving meal was delish, and I ate so much I think I'm going to burst!**

**On a more serious note, I've decided that I'm going to do close to 20 chapters, if everything fits right. If you have any complaints, I'll be glad to take them – just please PM them to me. Thanks!**

XXXXX

**Once Upon a Daydream**

**Chapter 12: From a Different Perspective**

**Sakura**

"Bye Sasuke-kun! Thanks for the ride home!" Sakura called to Sasuke, who waved goodbye and drove off in his shiny black car. All day her friends had been busy – Ino and Shika were, well, you know, Tenten had gone to a movie with Neji, and Naruto had helped Hinata at the recently developed Hyuga Vitamin Store (AN: Kinda like the Yamanaka Flower Shop! Yeah, yeah, I know it sounds lame, but if you have any better ideas, you can tell me.). So Sakura called up Sasuke and they hung out at his house.

_Too bad Ino-chan couldn't come. It would've been much more fun with her around. _Sakura pouted. She hadn't seen her best friend all day. She didn't even bother signing on the computer. _Shikamaru, how could you do such a thing? Now the whole school hates you!_

Once inside her house, Sakura listened to her iPod for a while, and then got bored. "I know! I'll go check up on Ino-chan to make sure she's okay! And Tenten and Hinata should be home by now!" Sakura chirped.

She pulled out her RAZR and dialed a number (AN: she has all her friends on speed dial). "Tenten, Hinata, let's go visit Ino-chan! She must be so lonely!" "Okay, we'll be there! Bye!"

XXXXX

**Later…**

Ding-dong!

"Coming!" called Sakura. She opened the door and there were her two best friends. Hinata had a potted ivy plant in her hands to symbolize friendship, and Tenten had a huge basket with all of Ino's favorite fruits. Sakura grabbed a box of chocolate and headed out the door.

"There's Ino-san's house!" Hinata pointed at a large but cozy house that was Ino's. Potted flowers were on every windowsill, and poinsettias were placed near the door to celebrate an early Christmas. (AN: Sorry I didn't get to describe Ino's house before.)

The trio approached this nice-looking house and knocked. "Hey Ino, are you there?" Tenten called. "It's us!" Sakura added. There was no response.

"Come on, Ino, we're not asking you to leave your house! Just answer the door!" Hinata said. Still no response.

"I guess she's not home," Hinata said. The two nodded.

"Ha, I knew she would crack sooner or later! Come on, I know where we can find her!" Sakura said and gestured for her friends to follow her. Being Ino's BFF, Sakura knew exactly where she would be at this moment.

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**Ino and Shikamaru**

"This picnic dinner idea of yours was a great idea! And this food is delicious!" Ino complimented, taking a bite. (AN: Not sure what food I should make it)

Shikamaru grinned. "Well, I am a genius, of course."

Ino giggled. "A very lazy one, too!"

"Oh, really? Would a lazy genius go through all this trouble just to make his girlfriend happy?"

Ino stopped. "Girlfriend? What do you mean by girlfriend?"

"I was going to ask you out sometime, but I guess I was too shy." Shika shrugged.

While the two were talking, Sakura, Hinata, and Tenten were approaching the hill. "I know Ino-chan better than anyone, and I happen to know she is on top of the hill," Sakura stated.

"Wait, what's that? I hear _two _voices! Who's the other one?" Tenten exclaimed.

"Hey, that voice sounds familiar!" Hinata added.

"I think I might just know who that is," said Sakura, a sly smile on her lips.

They hid in the bushes and peered to see who it was, and to their (well mostly Hinata and Tenten) surprise, they saw Ino and Shikamaru. But what surprised Sakura as well was the fact that they were…

KISSING!

Tenten, Sakura, and Hinata gasped audibly, and then clamped both hands over their mouths. Ino and Shika had heard and broke away from their kiss.

"What was that? Who's there?" Ino scanned the bushes and held up a candle in order to defend herself.

Sakura, Tenten, and Hinata shared glances. Should they come out? Then they saw Shikamaru approaching the bush…

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**CLIFFHANGER! Yeah, it's short, but this part was supposed to be part of Chapter 11, but I decided it should be part of another chapter. Please review!**


	13. Promise?

**Good news everyone! I'm back and should be update super-quickly. As I already mentioned in my other story, I'm on winter vaca and will be working on Meant to Be and this fic all winter!!! So enjoy!**

**And also, I am in need of a beta. If you are interested in becoming my beta, either PM or email me (my address is on my profile). Thank you! I will take the first two people.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I just realized that they put a disclaimer on like every story and I have no clue why I do too!!!**

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**Once Upon a Daydream**

**Chapter 11: Promise?**

**Flashback**

Tenten, Sakura, and Hinata gasped audibly, and then clamped both hands over their mouths. Ino and Shika had heard and broke away from their kiss.

"What was that? Who's there?" Ino scanned the bushes and held up a candle in order to defend herself.

Sakura, Tenten, and Hinata shared glances. Should they come out? Then they saw Shikamaru approaching the bush…

**End Flashback**

XXXXX

Shika slowly moved the branches of the bush aside. The three girls exchanged glances. They all knew that if Shika discovered them they would be dead.

Shika moved the last branch aside, revealing Sakura. She gulped.

Shika blinked. "S-Sakura?"

Ino frowned and ran up next to Shikamaru.

She gasped. "Sakura! What are you doing here?"

Sakura sweated. "Okay, let's come out now."

Tenten and Hinata popped out of the bushes thus revealing themselves as well.

"Tenten! Hinata!" Ino cried, startled.

Suddenly Tenten felt a rush of bravery and decided to explain.

"Okay, well…here's the thing…we knew a long, long time ago that you two liked each other and, well, today we wanted to check on you, Ino, but you weren't home." She stopped to breathe only to have her sentence be continued by Hinata.

"Sakura, being your best friend, knew exactly where to find you. We followed her here and…" Hinata looked at Sakura indicating it was her turn to talk.

"We kinda saw you…making out…" Sakura scratched the back of her head and looked on the ground.

Ino stared at them blankly._ They knew? A long, long time ago? _She looked at Shikamaru and could tell he was thinking the exact same thing.

The last thing Sakura said was, "Are you mad at us?"

Ino was deep in thought. She kept repeating that phrase: A long, long, time ago, in her head. She had mixed emotions. She was angry, confused, scared, and embarrassed at the same time. She made up her mind soon enough.

"No…as long as you don't tell anyone. Promise?" Ino spoke, causing everyone to gasp.

"Eee! Thank you Ino-chan!!!" The girls went over to hug Ino. "Promise!" Shouted Sakura. Ino knew that she was talking about all three of Ino's friends.

Shika had been confused by Ino's sudden forgiveness, but he felt it was the right thing too. _I just hope they keep their promise._

XXXXX

**Well, did you like it? Please review! Soon I will allow anonymous reviews so you people out there without accounts will be able to share your opinions too!! **

**Okay, well here's a preview so you can decide whether you want to keep reading or not. **

**Preview: Ino is back to school. She is all better again, and all her emotional problems are solved…well at least for now. She and her friends show up at Movie Night. What will happen? After all the hard work, diligence, and agony they put into making their movie pay off? Read the next chapter to find out!**


	14. Temari

**Finally, an update on this story! Sorry to all my readers. I've been so busy working on Heart of Ice, and I also went to visit relatives.**

**I mentioned this on HOI, but ShikamaruHatake is now my beta! Yay! Only on Heart of Ice though.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

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**Once Upon a Daydream**

**Chapter 14: Temari**

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**The alleyway**

The whole group was at their hangout – Sasuke, Sakura, Neji, Tenten, Naruto, Hinata, Shika, and even Ino. Everyone was glad to see Ino back again. Of course Ino's girlfriends weren't the least bit surprised. Naruto, being stupid, thought Ino had a horrible disease, earning him a whack on the head from Hinata (AN: I know, it's usually Sakura, but Hinata is his girlfriend after all).

After half an hour of chatting and gossiping, the school bell rang in the distance. Instinctively, they all picked up their bags and piled into Neji's huge 8-seat car.

As they drove to school, Ino felt nervous. _What if everyone knows what happened? They'll hate Shika! Oh my god, this is all my fault! _

Shika noticed Ino's anxiousness and gave her a grin. "You nervous?" Ino growled and silently cursed Shika for his mind-reading abilities.

"It's okay, I don't mind being hated. As long as you're happy." Shika smiled and shot another grin at Ino causing her to blush. _I should be glad to have such a caring boyfriend, _she thought and smiled back.

Yes, they were now dating. Shika had asked Ino to be his girlfriend yesterday, and of course she accepted. The whole gang was happy for the new couple, too. Sakura, Tenten, and Hinata were especially happy. Naruto on the other hand was still unaware of everything that was happening and now had _two _bumps on his head.

Everyone turned to look at Ino and Shika as they passed the hallways. The news that they were now a couple spread quickly and reached absolutely everyone at school. Even Temari.

XXXXX

**Flashback**

Temari sat with the two other sand sibs at home. They were discussing everything that seemed boring to her, and she was just about to die of boredom, when suddenly she heard Kankuro say, "Hey, did you know Shika and Ino hooked up yesterday?" This immediately caused Temari to slam her fist on the table.

Kankuro and Gaara looked at her weirdly. "Um Temari are you okay?" Gaara said. (AN: sorry for the OOCness!)

Temari smiled a phony smile. "I'm fine. What did you say Kankuro?"

Kankuro repeated what he said. Temari's eye twitched.

"MY SHIKA-KUN IS GOING OUT WITH THAT LOSER YAMANAKA GIRL?!" she screamed in outrage.

The guy sand sibs cowered in fear. "Yeah, Shikamaru told me himself!" Temari glared at her younger brothers.

"Oh, Nara, you are SO dead!"

**End Flashback**

XXXXX

Temari stormed down the hallway towards Shika and Ino. She didn't even notice them, and bumped into them.

"Hey watch where you're – Shika-kun?"

"Oh. Hi…Temari." Shika said, not exactly thrilled to meet Temari. Ino nodded too.

"Shika-kun, is it true you're going out with Ino?" Temari said, sticking out her bottom lip and trying to act cute.

"Well, yeah, but…"

"So you don't want me anymore?"

Shika gulped. "Well Temari that was…a while ago."

Temari looked hurt. "Just last year!" It was true, they had dated last year, but their relationship didn't last longer than a month.

Shika said bravely, "Look Temari, I want to move on and now I'm with Ino."

Temari was having the hardest time trying to smile. She looked at Shika. She looked at Ino. Of course she had a harder time smiling when looking at Ino.

"Okay then. See you!" Temari said with her signature phony smile and walked off.

Both Shika and Ino knew that they were in for a big surprise…and definitely not the good kind.


	15. Party Crasher

**Oh, I'm so sorry for not updating earlier. Two reasons why: 1) real-life issues, and 2) I've been working on Heart of Ice almost all winter break. Again, I am not advertising, but if you could, please check it out. I really need a lot more reviews for it if you want me to update.**

**And also, there might be some bad language in here just to warn you…**

**3/25/08 edit: I'm trying to clear up confusion about Temari crashing the party, although she was already invited. And I'm adding more details.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Once Upon a Daydream**

**Chapter 15: Party Crasher**

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**Shikamaru**

Shika heaved a sigh. _Why did Ino have to come and make my life so troublesome? _He looked behind him to see Ino. She was looking back at him, and instead of the usual wave and smile, she gave him a look of worry and concern. Shika fidgeted in his chair. He felt the same way, and we know why – Temari.

XXXXX

**Temari**

And at this exact moment Temari was thinking what she would do with them. _I'm going to make that Yamanaka wish she was never born, _she thought, but her conscience argued with her. 'But how?'

Temari stopped. She had never thought about this. _Well, I'll just…I have no clue. _'Tsk tsk, Temari. You never think outside the box. Why not crash Ino's party?'

Temari gasped. "That's a great idea!" She suddenly realized she had this whole conversation out loud and everyone was staring at her weirdly. She chuckled nervously. "I'm…uh…reenacting a part from…that movie…" She quit and went back to her work. _Great. Now the whole school will think of me as the whore who talks to herself all the time. I just hope none of Ino's girly friends actually heard that._ But she was wrong.

A few desks away, Haruno Sakura had been listening with intent at her conversation with herself. _She's planning to crash Ino's party! I better warn her! _As soon as the bell rang, she started out the door in a hurry, but was stopped by none other than Temari.

"Where do you think you're going?" Temari inquired rudely. Sakura frowned.

"Home, where else?" She pushed Temari aside and continued out the door. Temari looked at her in disgust. "Oh, you better not tell her!" she yelled after her.

**Ino**

Ino turned around to see her pink-haired friend sprinting towards her. When Sakura finally reached her, she put her hands on her knees and caught her breath for a while. Ino frowned. "What did Temari do?"

Sakura returned the frown with a look of concern. "Ino…that damn Temari is going to crash your party!"

Ino gasped. She had been planning for this party for ages, only to discover that it was to be crashed by the person who she hated the most! "That bitch…" she trailed off, looking upset.

Sakura placed a hand on her best friend's shoulder. "Don't worry. Hinata, Tenten, and I will make sure that never happens. See you at 5:30 tonight." With that, she walked away.

Ino looked at her. "I hope you're right," she mumbled and walked in the opposite direction, arms crossed stiffly across her chest and muttering some curse words.

**Well, it's not that much of a change, but it sure is something. Yes, sorry it's short. Also, to be honest I have no idea how Temari should crash Ino's party. Any suggestions?**


	16. Hinata: A Traitor?

**Ok, I know it's been like, a year since I last updated this story, but I hope you will still like this story. To tell you the truth, I myself was sort of disappointed at my style of writing. I considered it "immature" and "nonsensical", but that means that from now on my writing style will hopefully be more sophisticated now that it's been another year.**

**Dedications to Deadknuat (my new friend :D and in honor of your new story I'm putting more Naruhina in here!) and the anonymous reviewer shikaxino fan. I can't reply to your review so I'm going to reply here. Does anyone know if Shikamaru's dad is Shikaku or Shikato? Because I've read lots of fics and some call him Shikato and some call him Shikaku, and it's so darn confusing. If you know, let me know.**

**Once Upon a Daydream**

**Chapter 16: Hinata: A Traitor?**

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Temari grinned devilishly into the mirror in the girls' bathroom. Still looking at the mirror, she turned her gaze to the reflection of the girl behind her twiddling with a lock of stray hair nervously. "So. You've decided to help me."

The girl, who suddenly froze and stopped fidgeting, said nothing.

"I said…" Temari began menacingly, glaring daggers at the poor girl, who winced, "You've decided to help me. Because you _know_ what's going to happen to you if you _don't_."

The other girl just nodded meekly. Temari smirked triumphantly and resumed observing her own reflection.

"Great, so meet me at my house at 5. _Don't_" —Temari put as much emphasis as possible on that word—"be late." The other girl, who by now was terrified to the point that she was sweating rapidly, answered weakly, "Y-yes T-temari-san."

"Excellent choice," began Temari, poking the raven-haired girl's forehead rudely (AN: Think Ino and Sakura when they were young), "…_Hyuga._"

With that being said, Temari grabbed her fan and left the bathroom, leaving Hinata, who could collapse any minute, behind.

XXXXX

"You _what?!_"

"N-Naruto-kun, I'm so sorry…"

"No, Hinata. I loved you, but that was before—when I thought you were nice." The blonde turned away and crossed his arms.

Hinata sighed inwardly. _What am I going to do? _"I'm n-not a t-traitor…"

"Yes you are!" Naruto turned to Hinata, yelling.

_Be strong. Don't cry. Not in front of Naruto. Again. _But the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to cry. "N-naruto-kun…"

"NARUTO! I'M NOT A TRAITOR! DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ME IF I DON'T DO THIS! THIS IS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!" Hinata screeched, flailing her arms around wildly (AN: SOOOOO ooc!). Naruto sweat-dropped.

"Whoa Hinata-chan that was awesome."

"Thanks, I saw it in a soap opera. But my point is," Hinata continued, "I'm terrified of Temari. I don't want to hurt Ino-chan—I really don't—but I don't have a choice!" Hinata sobbed harder as Naruto put his arm around her.

"Aw, Temari can't do something that bad, can she," Naruto commented, rubbing the back of his neck.

Hinata just shook her head. "You have no idea. I'm sorry Naruto, but I can't tell you. All I was asked to do was to tell you to meet outside Ino's house at 5:45 and to bring your cat."

"My…cat?" asked Naruto confusedly. "Mr. Snuggles? But why?"

"Like I said Naruto," Hinata said, "I can't tell you. Please, you wouldn't want to see me get hurt, would you?"

"No, I wouldn't. I'll be there Hinata." Naruto held Hinata's hands in his briefly, then, glancing at his watch, ran off.

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**Yes, I know. This chapter didn't include Ino's party in it. I just wanted to have a mini-cliffie to arouse interest, then finish it off nicely. I'm not exactly sure, but I think this story will be about 20 chapters long, with (maybe) a sequel. I don't know. I'm sorta working on lots of stuff right now, so we'll see where it goes. Review!**


	17. Fairytale Ending

**I'm baack, guys (: I'm not going to stop writing until my stories are complete, so don't stop reading my masterpieces! ;] And I'll of course start new stories. A new story for every finished story!  
**

_**Just a note…**_ **I'd like to remind everyone that _I _**_**do not hate, or have anything against Temari**_**. She's a pretty awesome chick. I just don't think she belongs with Shikamaru, that's all.**

**Once Upon a Daydream**

**Chapter 17: Fairytale Ending**

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"Where. Is. That. Hyuga. Girl." Temari looked vicious, but in a hot way. She looked like she would crush her brand new phone if Hinata didn't show up.

In a desperate attempt to not break something, Temari slid a tube of cherry flavored lip gloss over and over her lips and blew herself a kiss in the mirror.

Suddenly, three soft, short knocks became audible.

"Come in already, bitch." Temari crossed her arms, being careful not to rip her red fishnet fingerless gloves.

"Heeyyy." Hinata walked in, oozing confidence in a flattering, but out of style, ivory dress. (a/n: remember chapter 6?) She had a quirky little half smile that Temari found almost threatening. Temari thought that was awfully strange that the Hyuga would be so…not scared for her life, but dismissed it.

"Where the freak have you been? I _said_ 5:45, _sharp_, and you choose to show up five minutes late." Temari let out a frustrated sigh, then checked her black nails to make sure her nail polish wasn't chipping. "Whatever. Where's the idiotic blonde's cat?" She knew it was a mistake the moment she insulted Hinata's boyfriend, but to her surprise, Hinata didn't seem to notice at all.

"_Mr. Snuggles_ is here." Hinata picked up Naruto's adorable orange-and-tan kitty. _Looks just like him_, she thought with a sheepish giggle.

"WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT?!" Temari barked. "Is there something wrong with my hair?"

"Um. Depends on how you would describe 'wrong'…."

"Shut. Up. Now."

"Whatever." Hinata mumbled.

"You know the plan. Everybody knows Ino has a life-threatening allergy to cats. If we let her near this one, I can get rid of her once and for all. Oh, and Shika will be mine again." Temari grinned mischievously.

Hinata's stomach lurched. Of _course_ she knew about Ino's allergy and could not believe that Temari would be so cruel and cold hearted to treat Ino like this. _Temari, you've sunk to an all-time low_, Hinata thought, silently glaring daggers at Temari's reflection. But of course, Temari was too self-absorbed to notice.

"Remember, get the little slut and my Shika-kun by the bridge out back, by the pool." Temari said, gesturing in the bridge's general direction. "Now GO." She used her sharp fingernail to poke Hinata's delicate arm.

Hinata stumbled clumsily across the large room and quickly spotted the two lovebirds, Shikamaru and Ino.

"Uh, h-hey Ino-chan, Shikamaru-kun." Hinata greeted the couple.

"Hey Hinata!" Ino greeted enthusiastically. Shikamaru nodded and asked, "Having fun at the party?"

Hinata sighed. "Yep. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to help Naruto with the snacks!" She licked her lips and went off to the kitchen.

"Naruto help!" Hinata burst through the kitchen door.

"What Hinata-chan?" Naruto eyed his girlfriend suspiciously and wrapped his arms protectively around her. "Is there something wrong?"

Hinata sighed, "Actually, yes, Naruto. But you have to help me! Listen. Here's the plan……."

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Just like Temari had planned, Ino and Shikamaru had indeed headed off towards the pool with the bridge in Ino's spacious backyard.

"Oh, Shika-kun, isn't it lovely?" Ino sighed, eyeing the countless purple lanterns hanging from the tall trees. Shikamaru and Ino had spent all week making them. Earlier this afternoon, Shika came early to help her set them up.

"Not as lovely as you," Shikamaru said, lifting Ino's chin up to face him. Ino giggled.

_How sickening_, thought Temari, still hiding in the bushes.

"NOW!" Temari hissed fiercely at her raven-haired companion whom she thought to be outside the bushes.

"Actually, Temari, that won't be necessary." Hinata snuck up behind Temari and stated in a calm tone. Temari jumped.

"What the hell are you doing?! Get out there before _you know WHAT_ happens!!" Temari was furious this time.

"Not a chance. There's no way I'm letting Mr. Snuggles get into Shikamaru's arms, give Ino that horrible rash, and cause her to step on that loose stone behind her so she can fall into the pool and ruin her outfit." Hinata folded her arms.

"Temari, is that _really_ the best you could do?" Shikamaru said. Turns out Shika and Ino were listening the whole time.

"Temari, you've sunk to an all-time low," Ino said.

"I have an idea for how she can sink even lower." Hinata grinned mischievously at Ino. "Ready Ino?"

"Ready Hinata."

The two advanced on Temari, who was slowly backing away.

"Lay a finger on me and you know what will happen," the dirty blonde growled menacingly at Hinata. "I have my brothers on speed dial!" She held up her cell phone, as if trying to back up her unstable threat.

Then Hinata and Ino pushed Temari into the pool. How anticlimactic.

But everyone who was around cheered, including Ino, Hinata, Shikamaru, Naruto, Tenten, Neji, Sakura, and Sasuke (who were hiding in the bushes. Turns out the Yamanakas are extremely fond of large bushes…).

_Glug! Glug! _"I'll—glug!—get you for—glug!—this!" Temari half-screamed, half-choked. Everyone laughed.

"Come on Temari, let's go," Temari's psychiatrist dragged Temari away. She sent Ino and Shikamaru one last death glare, and that was it.

"That's it. She'll be sent to Suna. She's never coming back," Hinata said, grinning as if getting rid of Temari once and for all was her biggest accomplishment. Which, in a way, it was.

"Hooray!" Everyone cheered again. The ones who cheered the loudest were Ino and Shikamaru.

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Shikamaru swept Ino up in his arms and carried her all the way to her favorite spot on the hill. The two silently and contently watched Ino's party going on without them. Shika wrapped his arms around Ino's waist.

"I'm so glad you got rid of her."

"Mhmm."

"You're amazing." Shikamaru stroked Ino's silky blonde hair. Ino blushed madly and stared at the ground with a coy smile spreading on her face.

Shikamaru picked a fresh leaf off of the tree. "This is for you. I've always thought of leaves as good luck charms. I remember when I picked a leaf not so long ago, I thought of you. I knew from then on that you would be my girlfriend—the most amazing, beautiful girl in my life."

Ino was dazzled. She could hardly speak.

"I..love…..—" Ino began, but was interrupted by the sweet sensation of Shikamaru's lips on hers.

"You," Ino ended as she came up for air.

She had never had a kiss as sweet as the one she had that night. She couldn't have asked for a more perfect night.

He would never forget her, no matter where they ended up. She was his life now.

And he was hers.

_She never could have imagined this, and it all began once upon a daydream._

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~The end~

**HAHA. Finally complete. I know it was supposed to be twenty chapters long, but whatever. So, you guys like it? Too much fluff? Too cheesy? Well, I'm sad and happy at the same time to end my first fic ever. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it, and don't forget to look out in the future for a possible sequel! (HINTHINT!) ~D-A-F**


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